


This is my Design

by ayrtonwilbury



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Ben Solo is a Mess, Bisexual Ben Solo, Cannibalism, Dark!Rey, F/M, Gore, Murder, Murder Babies, Rey (Star Wars) is a Mess, The AU no one asked for, ben is having A TIME, everyone is a fucking hot mess, lots of dark!rey, murder things, yeah that came out of nowhere but it's gonna happen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:01:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23051383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ayrtonwilbury/pseuds/ayrtonwilbury
Summary: Hannibal!auBen Solo works for the FBI and trying his damndest to not become his father. Doctor Niima is a psychologist that has taken a special liking to Ben and wants to know more about his father and about his past.In which Ben Solo is Will Graham and Rey is Hannibal Lector.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 18
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first time writing for this fandom. 
> 
> thanks to this pic: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ESTggEaUMAEGFdS?format=jpg&name=medium  
> thanks to https://twitter.com/Queen_Adrya for the inspiration. 
> 
> tumblr: ayrtonwilbury.tumblr.com

Special Agent Ben Solo stared upward at the house, painted in hues of blue and red from the vehicles parked outside. Yellow tape billowed in the wind while officers kept the scene secured. Ben flashed his credentials to one of the officers to be let through and walked to the front of the house. He took notice that the door was practically ripped off its hinges. In front of him was the first victim, shot multiple times in chest and one in head, marked with yellow number plates while forensics took multiple pictures at multiple angles. He stared at the pooled blood underneath her and noticed the splatters on the wall. He spotted the second victim on the stairwell, shot in a failure drill, two to the chest, one to the head; police or possible military trained. He looked over to the left to see blood splatter on a numberpad on the wall. Ah. The saving grace was the boot pattern in the blood by the front door.

“This is my design,” Ben muttered to himself and closed his eyes.

He opened his eyes and he’s in front of the house. The house was plain and no colors swirled in front of it. No vehicles or yellow tape blocked his path. Ben, no, he was Kylo right now. The gun in his hand felt heavy and awkward and Kylo wanted blood. The door isn’t broken yet. He stormed towards the house and kicked opened the door. The woman screamed while the man runs down the stairs because of the commotion. Quickly, he fired off three rounds and the man tumbled down, blood erupted all over the stairwell. Sloppy, too sloppy. He wanted to take his time with these victims, not be in such a rush. Kylo wanted to hear them scream. Kylo wanted so desperately for Father to love him. But, Father would not be happy with this outcome. Disappointed again.

_Enter passcode_

Frantic, the woman pressed in a passcode.

_Verify voice passcode_

“Tea-” she began but Kylo shoots her in the back. The blood splatters onto the numberpad as she twirled around from the shot. He shoots her three more times and finally one to the head. Slowly, Kylo turned around and walked out of the house left nothing behind but a boot print.

“This is not my design,” Ben said as he opened his eyes as tears fell. “A real killer would never leave evidence behind. Father’s number one rule.”

The lights turn on in the classroom and Ben has a small relapse of where he was. Was he at the crime scene? No, it’s too bright. He blinked and finally realized he was in his class, teaching how to profile. He was reviewing the old case of a B and E gone wrong. Twenty students stared at him in awe and almost fear. Every single one of them knows who he is.

Ben Solo, the son of senator Leia Organa of Maryland.

Ben Solo, special agent for the FBI.

Ben Solo, who captured the Red Dragon.

Ben Solo, the son of the Red Dragon of Coruscant.

Ben Solo, the one to fulfill who his father wanted him to be and didn’t; the true Red Dragon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> added some more tags. It's going to be a doozy.
> 
> Anyway, I had to rewatch the pilot episode of Hannibal for some of this. I'll explore basically the first episode but after that it'll turn into its own story, I promise.

“Class dismissed,” a voice called from the doorway. Ben looked up while the students filed out in silence, the only sound was chairs pushed in and heavy footsteps. Head of the Behavior Unit at the FBI, Amilyn Holdo smiled and slowly walked up to Ben, who frowned at her and began to pack up his bag. “Ben, I need to talk to you.”

“I told you, Holdo, I don't want to go back out to the field,” Ben stated bitterly before he took off his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. “I don't even carry a weapon anymore.” Though, from his viewpoint, he could count at least five every day items on his desk that he could perfectly use proficiently as a deadly weapon-Father always liked to use mundane weapons as the starting weapon before moving to a deadlier one. It was an easy way to get the police off his back, even for a little while.

“You wouldn't be out in the field permanently,” Holdo stated before she backtracked. “But you would be. I'd like you to take a look at a current case Dameron is working on.”

Ben put his glasses back on and sighed. He rubbed the back of his neck and glared at the agent. “Am...you know I can't...”

“Is he still rooting around in there?” she asked him. Ben huffed before he finally gave a small nod. Holdo folded her arms across her chest. “Just this once. I would like you back out there. I'd like you to make a profile on who we're looking for. Once you're done, you never have to go back out an you can stay here and teach boring ideals to impressionable students.”

Ben hesitated at the offer before he shook his head. Bad idea. He held out his hand. “What's the case?”

Holdo smiled and handed him the case file she had in her hands. “Best we leave soon, you know how traffic is going to be getting out of Quantico.”

It took them thirty minutes longer than necessary to get to Fredericksburg because of the traffic. In that time, Ben swore to himself, heard his father's disappointed voice, and took three pills that helped with his growing anxiety. They pulled into one of the parking lots by the University of Mary Washington where they met Special Agent Dameron.

“Agents Solo and Holdo,” Dameron smiled and flicked a cigarette onto the ground before he crushed it with his boot. “You actually got him out of the depths of Quantico.”

“Poe,” Ben thinned his lips at the agent. Father hated people like Poe. Arrogant. Brash. Only cares for themselves. If Father was not rotting in prison his next victim would have been Poe, Ben knew. Father would have used a pencil and stabbed Poe in the neck before taking out his heart. Ben vaguely wondered which sculpture Father would have posed Poe in with his help. Maybe Michelangelo's _Pietà_...

No.

Ben held his head as a headache began to form.

_Father does not control me anymore._

“Solo, you good?” Poe asked with a head tilt.

“Long drive,” Ben made the excuse and took off his glasses to press his fingers into his eyes. “Tell me about the current victim.”

“Right,” Poe said and took out a cigarette. He offered one to Ben and Ben automatically took one. Poe lit both cigarettes and with the first breath, Poe blew the smoke out of his nose. “Jessika Pava. Lives here in Fburg and goes to the University. Visits her parents every weekend but hasn't visited or called in the last week or so. Worried because of you know the strings all over the local campuses around Virginia.”

“Mason, VCU, and ODU right?” Ben asked as he let the cigarette dangle in his fingers, not even smoking it. “Eight girls. Same age, height, weight, hair, and eye color.”

“Right,” Poe nodded. “You know packs are like pretty expensive here, right?”

“What?” Ben looked at his half burned cigarette before he finally took a hit. “Three girls and no connection with each other?”

“I'm about to go 'round the Pavas and talk to them. Want to join?”

“I have no choice in the matter, do I?” Ben muttered as they piled into the car.

_Always find the right one, Kylo. That's what makes the hunt beautiful and personal. The look on their face when you surprise them gets me so fucking hard, Kylo. If I didn't have a code, I'd make sure they'd remember me even in death, son._

“She always calls,” Mrs. Pava stated as she served them drinks not taking notice that Ben blinked furiously to refocus himself. “Or she came home on weekends. She's a good girl.”

Poe and Holdo talked to the parents in the kitchen while Ben began to walk around. The house was small and old, much like the rest of Fredericksberg. Pictures and awards of their only daughter littered the flower pattern wallpapered walls.

_Too easy, son. Sometimes, when it really matters, you just have to pick an easy prey and kill them at random. Cops won't be able to understand the pattern. They won't understand that the prey is connected. Kylo, are you fucking listening?!_

Ben's hands shook as he dug into his pockets for his pills. After a small struggle, he popped open the bottle and swallowed two pills. He let out a sigh of relief before he pocketed the bottle once more. He walked back into the kitchen and noticed two bowls on the ground, Ben tilted his head in fascination. How did he miss that?

“Do you have an animal?” Ben interrupted, unsure where they were in the interview.

“A cat. It's Jessika's,” Mr. Pava stated, confused. “We watch her while Jess is at school. Haven't seen it in a few days, though.”

“May I take a look around upstairs? Her room perhaps?” Ben asked and Mr. Pava nodded as he stood to follow. Ben nodded and immediately left the kitchen before he found himself in front of the stairwell with Mr. Pava close by.

_Get rid of the animals first, Kylo. They only cause trouble._

Ben ascended the stairs slowly and a large tuxedo cat sat in front of one of the bedroom doors. From where he was, he could hear the cat purr like a car engine. Ben forced himself to move forward towards the cat. The cat stood on all fours and meowed loudly at him.

“That's Jessika's room,” her father whispered.

Ben stood in front of the door and immediately looked at Mr. Pava. His hand shook before it firmly grasped the doorknob. Slowly, he opened it. The door groaned as it swung open and Ben already knew what he was going to see. The cat ran into the room and jumped onto the bed. Mr. Pava stood next to Ben and let out a scream. Ben quickly wrapped his arms around Mr. Pava and pulled him away from the room.

“Poe!” Ben hollered as he struggled with Mr. Pava.

_Kylo, if you're going to kill anyone, don't fucking bring them back home. Don't hunt where you shit, all right?_

“Solo, what are your thoughts?” Holdo asked as Ben snapped out of his thoughts.

“He's...the killer. He's guilty. He feels guilty for killing her,” Ben said as he sipped his coffee while forensics looked over the body at the crime scene. Ben took off his glasses and scratched at his eyes, fuck he was so tired.

“Why kill her?” Poe asked through a mouthful of sandwich. Ben frowned and thought about forcing the rest of the sandwich down Poe's throat to choke him. Father would probably praise him for inventiveness. “Jealous ex-boyfriend or something?”

“Agents, sorry to interrupt,” one of the forensics officers, Rose, called. She smiled at the trio. “So, we scouted the area earlier like you requested and found some antler velvet.”

“So?” Poe raised an eyebrow. “Deer come through here all the time?”

“It's the same one the body as well,” Rose huffed at Poe. “On her back, she had a few puncture wounds and we found out that it's from getting impaled by antlers.”

“He's a hunter,” Ben whispered. “Velvet can have some healing prowess if used properly.” The forensics team look at him in confusion and Ben continued on. “He's apologetic.”

“Yeah but why?” Rose asked.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hey we finally get to meet rey

_Hunting people is an art, Kylo. You can do all kinds of shit to people if you work it just right. Hand me the blowtorch. Sometimes, you just gotta get creative. Kinda like what we're doing right now. Yeah, it's not a female like always but this fucker has done more fucked up shit than we have. And right now we're going to show him what the Red Dragon can do, right?_

_Kylo blinks and sees the body of Jessika Pava heading right towards him. Her eyes are wide as she cries tears of blood._

Ben woke up in a pool of his own sweat. His vision blurred as he swore under his breath, it had been a while since he woke up like this. He ran a hand through his sweaty hair, grabbed two towels, took off his shirt, and tried to go back to sleep but the thought of Jessika Pava swirled in his mind while his body shivered even though he was burning.

_Why are you so nervous, Kylo? It's okay, son, I was nervous for my first kill, too. It's going to be all right, son. I'll be right here every step of the way._

“Hux,” Holdo smiled at the young man.

“Agent Holdo, I'd like to talk to you about Ben,” he stated as they walked around the campus all while they dodged students that were heading to class. “I don't think he should be allowed back in the field.”

“I think he's doing fine,” Holdo answered, unperturbed. “It's just this and he'll be back to teaching.”

“We just got him back,” Hux replied and stopped. He looked into her eyes for some sort of ulterior motive but couldn't find one. “He was someone else when he caught the Red Dragon. And I fear that if you let him continue down this path, he won't recover.”

“Are you saying that as a colleague or a friend?” she challenged. She knew that Hux and Ben didn't see eye to eye because Ben hated psychologists with a passion. Ben hated being psychoanalyzed and Hux did it quite a bit to Ben, even in jest. However, she also knew about the boys' past; their little affair when they were both in college. Oh how long ago that was, Holdo mused to herself. 

“Can I talk to him first?” Hux asked finally. “I want him to see someone, just to talk to him. So he won't turn into that person he started off as. Will you allow it?”

_Kylo, look here. I know you're right handed but I need you to start attacking with your goddamn left. You can't get fucking caught, all right? If anyone's gonna get caught, it'll be me. I'll protect you, kiddo. And you can finish what I started. That's what you were born to do._

“Solo?” a voice brought him back. Ben blinked a few times to let the world come back into focus.

“Tage,” Ben nodded at the other man. Armitage Hux was a professor at George Mason but managed his time to help with the FBI as much as he could. Hux chuckled and ran a hand through his red hair. “What brings you here?”

“I just got done talking with Agent Holdo,” he explained and pulled out a business card out of thin air. Ben vaguely remembered that Hux said something about learning some stupid sleight of hand tricks in Canto Bight last summer. “She wants you to visit someone.”

Ben takes the card and scoffed, not reading the name but the person's title. “A psychiatrist? Fucking really?”

“Dr. Niima is the best in her field,” Hux stated quickly and put his hands up in offering. “She was my professor when I was at university. Trust me, she'll get you talking and I know how much you love to talk.”

Ben doesn't answer and pockets the card.

_Have you said anything to your mother, Kylo? Answer me! Does she know! Do I have to kill her to make a point to you, Kylo?! If I get caught then all this would be for nothing! Do you understand that, Kylo!? Fuck!_

_**Help me** _ _Jessika Pava cries to Ben._

“Solo, this is Dr. Rey Niima,” Holdo introduced Ben to the doctor a couple of hours after Hux told him about her. What was Holdo and Hux playing at? Why tell him about her if they were just going to bring her in anyway? Ben raised an eyebrow and noticed how _young_ she truly was. Ben also totally didn't take the time to look at the freckles that littered her face that made her look so youthful. Ben didn't answer and didn't hold out his hand.

“I've heard so much about you, Ben,” Niima said with a smile; a gorgeous smile. Her voice had a hint of an accent that Ben couldn't really place just yet. He actually didn't want to know, he didn't want to get used to someone else in his head when Father was already there.

“Probably nothing good,” Ben offered as he angrily grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulders. “Here to psychoanalyze me? Just talk to Hux, I'm sure he has some good thoughts about me.”

“Would you like me to send you his senior thesis? He wrote about your father.”

Ben's lips thinned as he gripped the strap of his bag tighter. “Of course he did.”

“That's something I'd like to talk to you about,” Niima changed the subject while the three began to walk out of the classroom. “However, I have read very little about your father and I would like to talk to you about him.”

“I'll leave you two to it,” Holdo said and left but she knew that neither party heard her at all.

Ben's hands went into tight fists at his sides as he tried to keep his temper in check. It had been so long since someone set him off like this. Not even Hux would dare touch the subject of his Father and when he did, Hux knew when to back off. For this, this new person to comment about his Father so quickly...Ben glared. “I've been to enough of your people to let them know what my father did.”

“Have you?” she hummed as they stood in front of Ben's office. “Have they actually explored what your father did to you or do they just say that it wasn't your fault that you were brainwashed?”

“You know nothing!” Ben glared at her and he could feel himself turn into Kylo again. Father _never_ called him Ben. It was always Kylo. Ben fought his inner demons so hard to keep Kylo out of his system. However, Kylo continued to scratch the surface and Ben didn't know how much longer he could keep him hidden from the world. Kylo called for blood, his birthright.

“How much longer until Kylo takes over?” Niima asked finally. Ben stopped and stared at her. He hadn't told _anyone_ about Kylo. Not one word about him even when Father was caught. Niima nodded and took a step closer and he could smell her perfume; lavender and some sort of spice that he probably couldn't pronounce. Ben opened his mouth before he closed it.

“How-?”

“I know you a lot more than the others, Ben,” she said and opened the office door as if it were hers. “And I would like to talk to you about him, if you are willing.”

Ben ran a hand through his long hair before he finally relented. “Ten minutes.”

_How many times have you thought about this, Kylo? That you didn't want to claim your birthright? You are the heir to this dynasty. The Red Dragon will live on, whether or not it's on Coruscant or not. You can try but you will always be Kylo. Ben's dead. You killed him a long time ago, Kylo._

“Welcome back,” Niima smiled at him. Ben blinked the world into focus and realized that they were in his office and he was sitting at his desk while Niima was in the chair on the other side. She glanced at him patiently while he tried to figure out what the hell she was talking about.

“What?”

“It looked like you shut down,” Niima said. “Like you were on autopilot.”

“How do you know about Kylo?” he demanded finally as he rubbed his head. “No one knows about Kylo.”

“Someone does.”

“Who the fuck then?” he glared at her. He wanted to grab the name plate on his desk and bash her head with it before he ripped open her chest cavity and rearrange her internal organs. No, _Kylo_ , wanted to do that. Ben did not.

“Your father told me,” she said simply. “And I must say, he is a _very_ interesting man.”

Ben's hands shook as he shot daggers at the doctor. So, she went to find out about Father so she would get his version of himself rather than what the press wrote; interesting. “He's a psychopath who thinks killing is his legacy.”

“Well, isn't it?” she asked, her legs crossed while her hands stayed on her lap. She had a small smirk on her face as she continued to talk. “He's now immortalized as one of the most dangerous if not the most dangerous killers that the United States has seen. Though, I do think Germany is stating that they want to extradite because he might be involved with some of their unsolved cases.”

“Prague and Italy want the same,” Ben muttered as he fumbled around his desk for his bottle of pills.

“So he is the Hellfire Beast of Europe.”

“Sure, if that's what you want to call him.”

“He did seem disappointed that you are destroying his legacy.”

Ben scoffed as he downed the two pills dry. “He decided that for me when he divorced my mom and I had to fucking go on his...hunting trips. I never wanted to grow up as a serial killer, thank you.”

“And yet here you are, thinking like them to catch them like the animals they are,” Niima stated matter of factly. “Tell me, Ben, when do you think they'll cage you? Or have they already?”

“That's enough!” Ben snapped.

“How small is the leash, Ben?” she questioned. “How much longer until Kylo breaks free?”

Ben slumped in his chair and let out a shaky breath. He finally tilted his head up to stare at the doctor; she had won this round. “What do you want from me?”

“I want to free your mind, Benjamin. And free yourself from Kylo.”

“Kylo is dead,” Ben said and stood. “He's been dead for a long while.”

“Somehow I don't believe that,” Niima replied and stood as well. “Nor does your father. Before I go, I do want to ask you one question.”

Ben raised an eyebrow. “What.”

“How light was your sentence since you were an accomplice? Your father wanted to know. You two had separate trials, if I recall the news.”

Ben rolled his eyes and grabbed his bag. “I was fourteen when he was caught, that's on him. He was sloppy in his later years, he knew better.”

“What if he wanted to get caught?”

“That's-” A knock on the door interrupted him and opened to reveal Agent Dameron.

“Hey!” he said before he realized that there was another person in the room. “Solo, I need you to stop being a professor for like twenty minutes because we just got something in Dantooine that involves the case.”

“Dr. Niima was just leaving,” Ben stated acidly.

“That's fine, you can play psychoanalyze whatever later,” Poe said quickly. “Come on, we gotta go, traffic is going to be fucking murder...wait, was that a bad choice of words?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kinda squick stuff happening here. (cannibalism, murder stuff, etc) just a warning, i can provide a summary in the next chapter if you want to skip this one

_Get in the fucking Falcon, Kylo. You know, I liked you when you didn't ask questions, Kylo. You're asking the wrong questions._

They were out in the middle of a field and Ben stared at the body of a young woman displayed for them. He's been out here all night and in the morning light from the sun began to bring in the humidity through the town of Dantooine. Ben could feel the sweat forming on his brow as he drank the piss water called coffee from the gas station down the road. Ben frowned as he took a step closer to the body. It was sloppy, too sloppy for the killer they were looking for. The body was on display, settled on a set of antlers while a large gash was across her stomach. It wasn't quick, Ben knew. The one that killed the eight girls was gentle with them, almost fathery like. This, however, was someone who was angry and wanted nothing more to inflict the pain upon the person. Ben shook his head; she did not fit the description of the other girls.

“Her lungs are missing,” Rose said as she took off flecks of blood and dropped them into a vile.

“Been out here for about six hours,” Snap said as he took pictures. “Give or take an hour.”

“She ah...she was alive when he took out her lungs,” Kaydel bit her lip and looked over at Holdo and Ben.

“This isn't the guy,” Ben stated and Holdo looked over at him.

“How do you know?” she asked.

“Our killer has a-a guilty conscious,” Ben spoke quickly to make sure he wouldn't get interrupted. “He put Pava back in her own room for Christ's sake! This...this guy doesn't give a shit about these women! He thinks they're fucking pigs! This isn't our man. This is a guy who just wants to kill just to kill. There was no reason behind this killing.”

“So, we have a copycat?” Holdo questioned while Ben walked away. “Solo!”

_What do I think of cannibals? I think they're sick fucks, Kylo. However, in the need of survival, I'll do anything to survive. If that means eatin' some random ass prey on my hunts then so be it. Like those soccer players. They ate each other to survive. Maybe we can do the same soon._

A set of lungs slapped against the cutting board. Small hands moved and began to knead the lungs to make them tender. With precision, the meat was cleaned and cut into what could be cooked. The meat was then thrown into a pan while wine was poured over the meat and flames engulfed the pan. The chef hummed to themselves while they felt the heat on their arms and face. The meat was then placed lightly onto a plate of vegetables and Rey Niima smiled to herself. She grabbed her fork and knife and began to eat the meal she cooked for herself.

_Ben, honey, I need you to be honest with me. Baby, please. What kind of hunting trips do you go on with your father?_

Ben woke in confusion. His mother had never filtered into his dreams before, Father made sure of that. He closed his eyes only to have someone knock on his door. He opened his eyes, stared upward at the yellowed ceiling, and closed his eyes once more. The knocks didn't stop. He grunted and shuffled to open to the door ready to snap at the person but his mouth was gaped open when he saw Niima.

“Doctor Niima,” he let out the breath he held. “What are you doing here?”

“Agent Holdo told me to come fetch you since the others are unfortunately busy with their work,” she stated and held out a lunchbox complete with thermos. “And as a peace offering, I have brought you breakfast.”

Ben pressed a hand into his left eye before he opened the door wider for her to come inside. “T-thank you.”

Ben moved to sit at the motel's small table and Rey sat across from him. She uncapped two tupperware containers and handed one to Ben. She then moved and poured two cups of coffee from the thermos and smiled at Ben. She motioned for him to eat as she gabbed her own fork to eat herself.

“What is it?” Ben asked as grabbed his glasses.

“Eggs, peppers, and some sausage from one of my favorite butchers,” she answered and began to eat. “Is there a reason why you decided to stay in Dantooine for the night instead of going back home? Your team is back in Quantico.”

“Because it was a three and a half hour drive and I was too exhausted to do so,” Ben answered as he ate the food. “This is really good, thank you, Doctor Niima.”

“Please, you can call me Rey,” she said, her own food abandoned as she watched him eat. A small smile formed on her lips that Ben didn't take notice, too absorbed with his food. “So, about this murder here in Dantooine...”

Ben scoffed as he drank his coffee. “It's another murderer. Took the girl's lungs.”

“Her lungs, why?” Rey asked with shock in her voice as she set aside her container and just drank her coffee.

“Eat them probably,” Ben muttered as he finished his breakfast. “It's like he's a copycat but not...it's like he's trying to show us something. Something we missed from the other girls but the message still isn't clear.”

“Why don't you get showered and dressed and we will make the trip back to Quantico. I'm sure Holdo is missing your intellectual insight.”

_Kylo, I need you to stop whining for one fucking second! I need you to help me out here, kid. Kylo, I need you to hold her still! Fuck, Kylo, you don't fucking know her! Fuck! Fine, just fucking tie her up then and throw her in the trunk. I'll deal with you once I'm done with her._

Ben and Rey were back in the depths of the Quantico labs. Two bodies were laid out in front of them and Ben just stood in the background drinking what he assumed was his fifth cup of coffee; he lost count after the traffic accident on I-64 getting back north. The forensics team worked on, talking animatedly to each other, and answered questions that were asked of them. Ben looked over at Rey, who just stared at the bodies with a posture that Ben assumed was uncomfortable.

“Have you ever seen a dead body before?” Ben asked her quietly. “If you're uncomfortable, you can wait outside until we're done.”

“I think I will be okay,” Rey stated, her voice wavered a little. She stared at the two bodies in front of them and Ben felt a tinge of sorrow for the doctor.

“You get used to it,” Ben explained, his voice still soft, still in understanding. “It's the smell that gets most people, to be honest.”

“Are you tell me this as Ben...or Kylo?” she whispered back.

Ben furrowed his eyebrows. “I'm telling you this as a human fucking being.”

“And then I looked over her body, Pava's,” Rose's voice explained which got Ben's attention. “And I found these shards of metal. Like piping.”

Holdo took the vial and stared at the shards. “Run some tests so we can narrow down where this stuff comes from.”

“Already have,” Rose smiled at Holdo. “It's around the town of Bespin. They're still the ones that still use this type.”

“There's something else,” Finn, another one of the forensics members interrupted Rose while the team all converged onto the trio. “About the liver.”

“Well...it was backwards,” Snap answered while he rubbed the back of his neck. “Like they were in a rush to put it back into her body.”

“You can see there's an incision here and then just above it another. It was like he was trying to make sure to cut the same place twice,” Kaydel talked to for Snap as she pointed at the wound.

“Explain,” Holdo demanded. The four looked at each other as if they were silently talking to themselves.

Ben blinked at the four of them and wondered if they were four different people or one large entity on how quickly they finished each other sentences and thoughts. Ben's thoughts went to the Godzilla movie he watched with King Ghidorah; the monster with three heads but in this case there was a fourth and the leader.

“And we tested the liver, too. Cancer,” Rose said which prompted Ben out of his mind.

“She was dying,” Snap stated and tried to be helpful.

“The meat was tainted,” Ben explained and looked at the four of them.

“The fuck does that mean?” Finn asked.

“He wanted to eat the liver,” Ben stated as he felt the pieces fall into place. Easy, this was too easy. “We're looking for a cannibal.”

“Solo, what-” Poe asked before Ben interrupted.

“He-he-he has a daughter!” Ben stated as his brain worked too fast for his mouth and he needed to get the information out. “Same age, same height, everything! She-she's going away and he-he can't _bear_ to be separated!”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> warning: violence and blood. 
> 
> and we're finally going to get out of the pilot episode plot of hannibal! now we can actually get somewhere fun.  
> also i have the ending of the story written out....i just need to... get there first.
> 
> oh, also if the military lingo starts to not make sense, drop me a comment and let me know. there's not a lot in this chapter but they might make appearances in other chapters. and thanks for the comments and kudos! i still have to work because of my job but i still have the time to write so no quarantine party fun times for me.

“You,” Holdo pointed to Snap. “Start calling Bespin construction sites.”

“He's a hunter,” Ben said, out of breath. Father would never let him talk for this long. He had to make this count. “He probably has a cabin, too. We need to look for that, too.”

“We're going to head that way. Solo, Doctor Niima, Dameron. You three, come with me,” Holdo said and looked at the forensics team. “You heard Solo. Try finding out about a cabins around Bespin.”

Ben looked over at Doctor Niima before they followed Holdo out. Poe talked softly with Holdo in the front seat of the SUV while Rey and Ben took over the back. Ben stared out the window and popped two of his pills as he rubbed his eyes.

“Something on your mind?” Rey asked him.

“Father used to go up and down this highway killing people,” Ben told her quietly with his cheeks turning a shade a red. “And I did nothing to stop him every time he did so.”

“You were a child, Ben,” Rey reassured him, a hand on his leg. She felt Ben tense at her touch and quickly pulled away. “And he had complete control over you.”

“He still does,” he muttered bitterly and glanced down at his now empty coffee cup. He huffed and looked out the window once more.

“Solo, what about that other killer?” Poe asked as he craned his neck to look behind at the two of them. “What should we do about him?”

Ben shifted his eyes towards Poe. “Let's get one at the time, yeh? It felt like it was...like it was something to help us.”

“A serial killer helping us?” Poe questioned with a raised eyebrow. “Why would a killer help us?”

“Maybe he feels guilty, too,” Ben said, his arms tight around his chest.

“Oh good, serial killers with a conscious,” Poe muttered and turned back forward. “Why do we get all the weird ones, Holdo?”

“Because we're the FBI, Dameron,” Holdo replied as she took the exit for Bespin. “And we deal with the fucking weird.” She looked in her rearview mirror at Ben, who wasn't paying attention to the conversation and was more interested in the passing trees.

A phone went off and Poe fished around for it. “What's up, Rose?”

_Kylo, take a look around. We're in our territory now. All up and down this highway? It's mine, Kylo, you understand? No one else prowls this highway but me. But, I'm getting bored with it, kid. I'm thinking about branching out. I want the whole world to fear me, you understand, Kylo? I want the world to bow at my feet._

Bespin was the same like all the other towns that drifted off from interstate 95. Small, smelled like fertilizer, traffic stops for weary travelers, and people who would never leave the town no matter what. Bespin was a place that Father hated; people knew too much about each other, that's why cities were always the best places to be. When Ben exited the vehicle, he grunted and tugged on his shirt as the summer humidity began to take its toll on his body. The air was stuffy, as if someone left the heater on in a room for so long it sucked out any oxygen in the room. He looked over at Rey to see that she had a sheen of sweat on her brow, but made no notion that the humidity was bothering her. Ben huffed as he looked over at Holdo and Poe, the latter still on the phone with Rose.

In the town of Bespin, they found two construction sites that had the piping that was on Pava's body. Poe and Holdo went to the site on the other side of town while Rey and Ben took the one closest to the interstate. They had given them a rental before they headed off to their construction site. Ben walked into the trailer and talked with the secretary while Rey looked around.

Ben flashed his credentials. “I just need to see your employment list.”

The secretary wanted to argue but instead let Ben do his thing while she called what he assumed was her boss. Ben ignored her and flipped through some of the paperwork when he picked up one letter of resignation. Ben tilted his head and grabbed another letter of resignation to compare the two. He then moved and grabbed another, and another before he saw the inconsistency.

“What did you find?” Rey asked and moved next to him.

“This guy....Mitaka,” Ben muttered. “Didn't leave an address.”

“That's strange because?” Rey asked, confused.

“Look at the others,” Ben said. “They all leave addresses and phone numbers. I wanna check this guy out.” Ben turned to the secretary. “Are we allowed to take any of the old files? Especially of ones that don't work for you anymore?”

“Sure, boss said that they were going to be shredded anyway,” she sighed out and began to give him about four boxes.

Ben brought the boxes outside and the secretary helped him put them into the rental's trunk. One of the final boxes, Rey accidentally let the box slip, causing the papers to fly.

“Shit!” she cried out as she went to descend the small set of stairs to help.

“No, no I got it,” Ben held up his hands. He then crouched down with the secretary to pick up the papers. “See if there are anymore.”

Rey stopped and took step upward. She kept a straight face as she slipped back into the office. She then moved and grabbed a couple of tissues. She turned back to the door before she picked up the receiver with the tissues. She dialed a number and waited. Two rings and someone answered. Rey smiled and licked her lips. “They know.”

She hung up the phone and tossed the tissues away before she rejoined Ben outside. Ben was on the phone, texting someone as he leaned against the car.

“What do you think?” Rey asked finally as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“I wanna check out Mitaka,” Ben told her as he kept his eyes on his phone. “Just to see. The secretary found his address. I let Holdo know where we're going.”

Ben stopped the car and stared at the house in front of them. It was small, much like the rest of Bespin, a truck in the driveway and Ben could see some antler decorations on the porch. He pulled out his issued Beretta and checked the magazine. Fifteen rounds nestled in the magazine before he moved his weapon to red status. Red, magazine in weapon, round in the chamber, and still on safe. He put the weapon back into its holster and shifted. Holdo probably shouldn't have given him a weapon but hell, Ben hated using guns in the first place. He mostly brought it for show and never took it out of his holster. Why have a gun when knives and other weapons were more personal?

“Ben?” Rey asked.

“Just...just follow my lead,” Ben muttered to Rey as he got out of the car. He ran a hand through his hair as he trudged through the gravel driveway to the house. Ben took another step when the door burst opened and a woman ran out, her shirt covered in blood. She tried to scream but Ben immediately saw the blood spurt out of the gaping wound in her neck. The woman collapsed and the door slammed shut. Ben and Rey ran to the woman while Ben called for back up.

“She won't make it,” Rey told him. “The wound is too deep, no matter how much pressure I would apply.”

Ben furrowed his brow and pulled out his weapon. “Stay behind me.”

“Are you tuning in the training from the FBI or the Army, Solo?” Rey questioned and Ben's grip on his weapon tightened.

“Can you not analyze me right now as there is a fucking _dead body_ in front of us?” Ben calmly demanded. He stood to the side of the door and listened for movement inside. Ben flicked the weapon from safe and kicked down the door. The door swung to life as he quickly cleared each of the open areas from danger. Slowly, he moved to the kitchen to see Mitaka with a knife against his daughter's throat.

“Stay the fuck back!” Mitaka hollered.

“Mitaka, you need to put the knife down,” Ben demanded, his weapon pointed right at Mitaka. His daughter stared at Ben with large eyes with tear stained cheeks as she gripped her father's arm that was tight around her chest. “Let her go.”

Mitaka shook his head, his own tears streamed down his face. “She was going to leave. She was going to leave me! After everything I've done for her!”

“Mitaka, this doesn't have to go like this!” Ben raised his voice. “Put the goddamn knife down!”

“I'm sorry,” Mitaka sliced his daughter's throat but not before Ben was able to fire a shot to Mitaka's shoulder. He stumbled back while his daughter fell. Ben caught the girl and moved her behind him, his weapon and his eyes no longer pointed at Mitaka. Ben looked up right when Mitaka brought down the knife against Ben's face. Ben swore out and stumbled back, his face exploded with pain. Ben shook his head and blinked, his right eye blinded by blood and his vision now blurry from the loss of his glasses. He growled as Mitaka advanced towards him. Ben fired off the rest of his magazine into the other man. Ben continued to fire his weapon but only heard the inevitable click that it was indeed empty.

“Ben!” Rey hollered to get his attention. “Do you know when your backup is coming?”

Ben lowered his empty weapon and let his gaze move to Rey and the girl. Rey had managed to get a towel on the wound and applied pressure. Ben didn't answer and walked out of the house to the sounds of police and the ambulances. Police and EMT ran past him, stood in front of him, and took the wife off the porch and to the coroner's van. Ben stumbled down the stairs, his shirt covered in blood as he tried to regain his posture. Holdo is in front of him and he can't see her. She's talking and he can see her lips moving, but he couldn't hear her. All he could hear is one voice.

_That's my boy. That's my Kylo._


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was writing this at work and poof, here's a bisexual ben solo. i'm sorry. he came out of nowhere. don't worry, it's just vague mentions of their relationship. nothing will come out of it throughout the rest of the story.

Ben woke up with hot and heavy breathing on his face. With blurred vision he turned his head slightly to see a large chocolate lab.

“Chewie? Fuck,” Ben groaned and pushed the large animal away. The dog whined and hopped off the bed, his tail thumped against the bed frame. Ben huffed and grabbed his new pair of glasses off the nightstand. Instead of regular, small Army issued frames that he's worn for that last six years, he opted for thicker frames that matched his angular face. “All right, all right. I'm up, I'm up.”

Chewie barked and ran around in circles before ran down the stairs. Ben stood still when he heard Chewie miss the last two steps and slammed his ninety pound body on the hardwood floors. He heard the telltale signs of nails on the hardwood before he rolled his eyes. He trudged to the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror. The staples and stitches were gone but the hideous scar remained. From the top of his eyebrow and down to the collarbone, Ben didn't realize how far Mitaka actually got him with the knife. Ben washed his face, got dressed, and went downstairs to let Chewie out. Ben's first instinct was to make coffee and he thought about making breakfast when he should probably head to the academy for class. Chewie ran around before Ben whistled for him and the large dog ran straight back inside. Ben smiled, scratched the back of his ears, and fed him.

“I'll have Tage come over later to let you out, okay?” Ben said to the dog. Chewie barked and Ben patted his head before he left to start his commute.

_Scars? Hell yes, Kylo, it's a right of passage. I have my fair share of scars from my prey. Soon you'll have your very own, kid. Scars that will make you remember each and every one of them. Better than the trophies themselves. Keepsakes that stay with you forever._

It was his first day back after his time in the hospital. The academy felt so different in his absence. As soon as he opened the door, the students stood and clapped for him. Ben's eye twitched as he slammed his bag down onto the table; the claps stopped instantly.

“I'm...I'm no hero,” Ben replied softly. He looked at his students and shook his head. “One killer is not enough for the others out there, remember that. If you decide that this is a victory, well it's a small victory compared to the war we've been fighting this entire time.”

The students were silent still. Ben took off his glasses and pressed a palm into his eyes, a dull throb greeted him at the back of his head. He let out a huff and put his glasses back on before he grabbed the remote for the projector. He clicked the power on button and the screen illuminated the class with Dopheld Mitaka's resignation letter. He leaned against the desk and crossed his arms over his chest.

“This is the piece of evidence that traced us to Dopheld Mitaka,” Ben explained. “Do you see what I found to point out that he was a killer?”

Slowly, the students began to raise their hands in hopes of the correct answer. Ben sighed and shook his head. Ben paced in front of his desk.

“He left no address,” Ben answered for them. “All the others had name, phone number, and address. Upon the construction site where I was at, it was what called out to me and I began my investigation. It was then when the secretary told us his address I went to investigate his house where I was met with him killing his wife and about to kill his child...all because she was going to college...”

Hux walked into the empty classroom where Ben was sitting at the desk. Ben looked up when he felt another presence in the room and gave him a tired smile. “Hey, Tage.”

Hux gave him a small chuckle in return before he frowned and pressed a hand against Ben's cheek, his thumb going over the scar. Ben made no move to pull away from the contact. “I'm so glad you're safe, Ben.”

“I need you to take care of Chewie for a few days,” Ben said quietly when Hux pulled away. “I don't...I need time to myself.”

“Of course,” Hux nodded. “Rose loves him dearly, I'm sure she wouldn't care at all.”

“He's your asshole to begin with,” Ben teased.

“Well, I also thought we were going to be together a lot longer than two years, Benjamin,” Hux raised an eyebrow.

Ben's cheeks flushed as he turned away. He began to pack up his papers. “Why are you here, Tage?”

“Holdo wants you to see Doctor Niima more often. I know she talked to you a lot while you were in the hospital,” he explained. “Especially after firing an entire magazine into the killer. You shouldn't even be carrying right now.”

Ben looked down at his holstered weapon; it didn't even have a magazine inside of it. “If she wants me to turn everything in, she can tell me herself and not bring you into it.”

“Telling you to see Doctor Niima was my idea,” Hux told him before he moved forward. “Look, I know all the shit with your father fucked you up. You didn't even tell me a whole lot but I know it has. Talk to Doctor Niima about it. She can help you with your demons.”

“She...she does make me talk a lot about Father,” Ben stated uncertain. “I...I'm not sure...”

“Talking about your father will be good for you,” Hux encouraged. “And I think she's doing a good job.”

Ben sighed and nodded. “Fine. I'll continue to see her. But on my terms.”

“Were you always this difficult when we were dating?” Hux asked.

“Were you always a prick?” Ben shot back. Hux raised an eyebrow and Ben bit his lip. “I'm sorry...it's...killing Mitaka...it. I don't know how it makes me feel.”

“I would love you to talk to me,” Hux stated. “But, since we have a...past, it'll be almost impossible.” Hux moved towards the door. “Please talk to Doctor Niima. If you don't want to talk to her, please come talk to me. As a friend, Ben. You have always been my friend. I'll nab Chewie as soon as Rose is done with work.”

Ben chewed his lip before he nodded. “Thanks, Tage.”

_Kylo, when you start high school, I want you to start taking criminal justice classes. I want you to learn the law. I want you to understand both sides. Remember, you don't get a choice. You will never be part of the police or the law. You are a killer, Kylo. You will always be a killer._

Ben stood in the hallway of Doctor Niima's office. The last time he actually got to talk to her was when he was in the hospital, his face on fire from the stitches and staples in his face. She would visit him often, just as much as she visited Mitaka's daughter, who was still in critical when he was discharged. He fidgeted before the door opened and she walked out with what he assumed was one of her patients. The patient thanked her and left just as quickly. Rey smiled when she saw Ben.

“It's been a while,” Rey told him and motioned for Ben to follow her inside.

“I think talking to you at the hospital a lot...brought up some memories,” Ben stated and frowned at her. “And you saving the girl when I took care of Mitaka. Thank you...for helping her.”

Rey and Ben had moved deeper into the office. The office was large and an entire wall was full of books with a ladder and a walkway were made to get to the books on the higher shelves. Large bay windows took over another wall as the remaining two walls were covered in paintings and awards that Rey received. In the middle of the entire room was her desk and two chairs on the other side. Ben noticed that there was no large couch for him to sit on like most therapists he went to. The room smelled like her perfume, of lavender and the spice like smell that he couldn't pinpoint. Ben walked around the room while Rey stood by her desk.

“How did it feel, Ben?” Rey asked him as she moved to grab her notebook and pen. “What did you feel when you killed Mitaka?”

Ben was on the second story on the library wall as he stared downward at her. He frowned at the question and turned back to the books, his arms folded across his chest. “You should know how it felt, Rey.”

“Do I?” she challenged and hummed quietly. She looked upward at him and smirked. “Ah, maybe I do.”

“Say it,” Ben challenged and turned to face her.

“You enjoyed it a lot, didn't you...Kylo,” she grinned at him.

Ben's hands went into fists as he closed his eyes. “Yes.”

“Hmmm,” Rey hummed out as she walked up the ladder to come face to face with Ben. “You have too much of your father's heart in you, young Solo.”

Ben narrowed his eyes and gripped the hand rail. “I am not my father, doctor. I will never _be_ my father.”

“No,” Rey said and closed the gap. Her face close to his, that she could feel his heavy breathing on her face. “You will be better than your father, Kylo.”

She kissed him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: a little bit of blood and gore.

Rey hummed as she looked at the liver in front of her. It was perfect in every way. She cut the liver in small slices while she waited for the pan to get hot. She then moved to another pan to crack a few eggs into the pan and began to cook. She licked her lips eagerly, knowing that the liver was pure and untouched by anything horrid. Liver was her favorite. As she finished her meal, she moved to her table and smiled to herself; feeling Ben's lingering fingers on her skin. The night was long and beautiful and she wanted to replicate it soon. Ben had left sometime in the early morning from a call from Poe. She continued to hum to herself as she finished her meal. She wondered if Ben will like the gift she sent him.

_Don't get attached to anyone, Kylo. When you get attached, you get soft. When you get soft, then you don't become your legacy. Your mother...your mother was just a convenience._

Ben gulped his coffee, it was way too early for this. Then again, he didn't sleep much the night before since he did what he never told himself he would do. One, sleeping with someone and getting emotionally attached, no one wants to listen to Ben's baggage. Second, sleeping with your fucking psychiatrist. That, was actually more of a surprise for Ben than anything else, if he wanted to be honest with himself. Rey got under his skin like no one else had before. He didn't really know if it was a good thing or not. She knew about his father and she knew about his past. It confused and intrigued Ben a lot. Maybe pursuing this wouldn't be as bad as he thought...

 _Create a perimeter. Block off the public. Get your DD 2823 ready. Get DD 4137 ready. Call up to Dispatch. Do not move forward without your partner. Do not touch anything._ Ben shook his head. No. He wasn't an MP anymore. FBI and Fairfax police are different.

Ben stared at the body in front of him; he had seen this before, why couldn't he place it? Snap took pictures while Rose and Finn scouted the area for clues. Ben slapped the back of his neck and huffed; out of all places, the body was found at Burke Lake Park, deep in the forest and on the edge of the lake. The body was found by two teenagers and their dog right before the park closed for the night. Ben needed to get his hands on the witness statements before the day was over.

“I thought you were done with fieldwork?” Rose said to Ben as she stood next to him. Ben looked down at her in confusion. “Armie thought you didn't want to do it anymore. Chewie's fine by the way, I think he misses you.”

Ben smirked at that and ignored the question. “He's a good dog. Loyal. But he's also an idiot.”

“Labs,” Rose chuckled. “You either get the really smart one or the really dumb one there is no in between.”

“Tage is the one that picked him out,” Ben told her. “I just paid for him.”

“Hey, Rose?” Kaydel called for her. “Do you know where Holdo is?”

“I think she's talking with Finn, what's up?” she asked as the pair walked towards Kaydel.

“The body...well, it's missing her liver,” Kaydel explained with her pen and notebook in her hands. “She was alive when the killer took it out, much like the girl with the missing lungs. Are we sure that it's not connected to the other case?”

Ben shook his head. “Can't be. Mitaka's dead...”

Ben blinked as he stared at the body. Snap and Finn pulled the body out of the water and into the black bag. The victim wore a flowing blue dress and her hair was red as a blazing fire. The placement. The body. Ben _has_ seen this before. Gently, Finn zipped the bag before they hauled it onto the stretcher. Ben took a step back as if he was burned.

“Solo?” Rose asked with an edge of concern in her voice. “Ben? You okay?”

“I've seen this before,” Ben said quickly as he fumbled for his phone. “I've seen this before!”

_This is art, Kylo. Everything that I do, is fucking art. And the world will know that the Red Dragon is here to stay. Do you understand? This is all for you, Kylo. These are my masterpieces. And one day, everyone will love the work I have done for them. Especially you, Kylo. You will learn to appreciate what I've sacrificed for you._

Ben stood in front of the small group, his hands shook with fear and how stupid he was. He ran a hand through his hair and looked at each person in the room. He posted a picture of the recent body, one from ten years ago, and a picture of the painting _Ophelia_ by Sir John Everett Millias. No one spoke as they waited for some sort of explanation.

“What do you see?” Ben asked them finally after a moment's silence.

“That someone has too much time on their hands?” Poe asked, who leaned back in his seat, already bored.

Ben's eye twitched. All he had to do was grab his knife in his pocket and he could hit Poe right in the middle of the chest and kill him. No. That'd be too easy. Plus, the paperwork would be dull to write up. And maybe getting locked up, Ben wasn't real good with enclosed spaces.

Finn leaned forward. “It's the same thing. The pose, the girl, everything.”

Ben nodded thankful that someone is paying attention and pointed at the painting. “This is Sir John Everett Millias' painting, _Ophelia._ ” He pointed at the recent body. “This was the victim today.” He tapped the last picture. “And this...this is victim number eighty-five...of the Red Dragon.”

The room was silent except for the hum of the computers around them. Ben could feel the tension in the air and wondered if he could slice it to get someone to speak. He chewed on his lip and stared at Holdo for some advice. Holdo leaned forward in her seat.

“Ben, are you sure?” she finally spoke.

“I'm positive,” Ben said as he stared at the picture. “But...the only thing that's different is the missing body part. Father never liked cannibals...”

“Do you think we have a copycat on our hands?” Holdo asked.

Ben stared at the pictures and for once, was loss for words. “I'm...I'm not sure. The only thing that connecting these two victims is their missing body parts. Father never did that. This copycat...this one is someone more.”

_Cold._

_It was cold in the Blackhawk as it made it's way over the mountains of Iraq. Ben shifted on the hard floor, his legs so numb that he can't even wiggle his toes. He shifted his M4 on his lap as he tried to get comfortable but it was near impossible when they had to overcrowd the helicopter. The wind howled against his ears as he tried to think of anything but his aching legs._

_“Solo, right?” one of the troops hollered at him over the wind and the propellers. Ben glared and nodded; another sergeant. “You're that bastard's kid, right? The one that killed all them people?” Ben didn't say anything. “Your fucking father killed my sister, you piece of shit. You better watch your fucking back, Solo. Ain't no one gonna save you out here.”_

Ben was at the range. He fired off the rest of his magazine before he quickly changed it. He loaded the weapon and quickly brought the Beretta from the low ready and fired off three rounds; failure drill. Two to the chest, one to the head. He brought the weapon back to his chest and decocked and holstered the weapon. He brought his weapon up and the room went black. He blinked and swore under his breath about to call out when he saw _him._ Ben's eyes went wide when Mitaka rushed toward him. Ben let out a holler and finished off the magazine. When the Beretta was empty, Ben's hands shook when he saw the flimsy target flap from the speed of his firing. He huffed at his skills and pulled out his marker and began to count the exit holes while the acrid smell of gunpowder and smoke filled the room.

“Forty-nine out of fifty,” a voice said behind him. He turned to see Hux move closer to him. “Still expert, Ben.”

“I pulled the last shot to the left,” Ben muttered as he dropped the sheet and pulled the slide of his weapon to make sure it was clear. Once it was, he brought the slide forward, put the weapon on safe, and holstered it. He then took off his ear protection as well as his eyes. “What can I do for you, Tage?”

“Holdo wanted me to come get you,” Hux said. “She wanted to talk to you about some stuff. Have you seen Doctor Niima lately?”

Ben shifted. “Not recently. This case...it...”

Hux nodded as they left the range. “Okay. She...I also want you to see her more. Because of Mitaka.”

Ben chewed his lip and nodded. “Yeah...I just haven't gotten around to call her again. I just have a lot on my mind.”

_Like, how I need to talk to her about what we did the other night._

Rey poured herself a glass of red wine. She brought the glass to her lips as she stared at the painting in front of her. She smiled and wondered when Ben would call her. A whimper was heard and her smile went brighter. She set the glass down and made her way towards the painting, a young man and woman posed as Michelangelo's _P_ _ietà._ The pair were glued together, so uncivilized but she wanted to get her point across. She saw the blood drip from their wounds as they tried to pull themselves apart from the chair and from each other. She took out the young man's gag as he coughed blood.

“Please,” he whispered. “Please don't do this.”

Rey moved to the table where her tools were. She picked up her knife and inspected it. She hummed quietly and moved back to the young man, while the woman eyed her with wide eyes. What did she want tonight?

“I think the heart will do,” Rey said to herself as she plunged the knife into the young man's chest. The pair screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DD 2823 - witness statement  
> DD 4137 - evidence sheet  
> 49/50 - expert in the m9 qualification for the military police. 
> 
> if you have any questions, don't hesitate to talk to me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/Dingwa11). i talk about my job a lot (or as much as i can because i'm deployed).


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ben's having a bad day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for your comments and talking to me on twitter. it means a lot. 
> 
> Come talk to me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/Dingwa11).

_Michelangelo was a true artist, Kylo. He hated that he had to paint the Sistine Chapel. He hated all the bullshit that came with it._ _If you look closely you can see how much a fuck you it was to the Church. That’s what I’m hoping to do with the world, Kylo._

He didn’t want this. Be back out in the field after being away from it for so long. He actually began to regret giving Chewie to Tage and Rose because he needed a companion in the house. Mitaka still plagued his memories and he felt like he was losing his grip with reality. Or maybe his mind told him that he was living an illusion. He _still_ hadn’t call Rey back and she actually called him the night before. He promptly ignored the call and just wanted to exist for a few hours. Then Poe kept calling his phone. And calling. Until Ben picked up and here he was, in fucking Maryland and on a fucking case again. He stood in the abandoned church with the scene in front of him. This was supposed to be Father’s masterpiece but never got the chance to execute it. Father was captured the night he was about to take his ninety-fifth and ninety-six victims; a couple on lover’s lane down by the river. That was when Ben called the police. It was then that Ben took it upon himself to kill the Red Dragon. By doing so, Ben doesn’t know if that caused his life to spiral out of control or not. He felt like he was fourteen years old again, terrified of his father and the way he killed people. Ben half wondered if Father ever thought about killing him when the time was right.

“Hey little starfighter,” a voice brought him back to the present. Ben blinked and looked over before he smiled.

“Lando,” Ben said and shook the older man’s hand. Lando Calrissian was chief of police for Montgomery County and helped his mother secure her senate seat. Lando was also the one that helped Ben when he needed someone the most. Lando was the first responder to Ben’s call. Lando was the one that was able to get Ben to talk about what had happened. Lando helped Ben get into the Army and then to the FBI after his stint. Lando was the father that Ben really wanted and needed. “I thought you were too old to do doing this kind of thing?”

Lando chuckled and ran a hand through his salt and peppered hair. “It was a chance to see you, starfighter. Been too busy with the FBI and hanging around old Virginia for too long. Also, your mother told me that you should go see her. Especially now that this happened in her state.”

Ben nodded as he ignored the part about his mother and before his eyes moved to the front of the church. Ben couldn’t shake the feeling that bubbled in his chest. Father talked about this piece all the time and to see it now...it was a piece of art. It was beautiful if Ben had to be perfectly honest. If only Father could see his masterpiece on display like this. Right in the middle of Ben’s home, where he grew up until his father’s many hunting trips. Ben felt a small bubble of rage but he couldn’t be too terribly mad, though. He knew that Father couldn’t have created this, but in the end who did? “Lando...this scene…”

Lando hummed in acknowledgment and tapped his chin. “ _Pietà_ was going to be his masterpiece. It seems like someone did it for him.”

“That’s the thing, Lando,” Ben said quietly while the others moved to cover the scene while others continued to document the area. Flashes from the cameras went off and Ben jumped at the sound; why was he so jumpy right now? Ben clenched his fists as he felt like he was fourteen again, the police charged into the house to arrest Father while he looked on. “Three people know about it because you kept it out of your report and I told you when you arrived on the scene. No one knew that _Pietà_ was the final piece.”

“Who else would know about it?” Lando asked with curiosity.

The heart was a thing of beauty that Rey admired. She had to look up a recipe to cook the damn thing but it was worth it. Her phone was on the counter next to her and she wondered when Ben was going to call. She knew that he had to have figured it out by now. She had made it too easy for him, so easy. She opened a bottle of red wine as she sat at her usual spot at her dinner table with her phone right next to her. She waited for the call that she knew she wouldn’t receive.

Her phone rang. She smiled.

_Your mother was so oblivious to all this, Kylo. Hunting trips? Really? She actually fell for that shit? She knows damn well that I’ve never been hunting my entire life._ _Now hand me that knife over there, we need to be out of here by tonight._

“I can’t believe you fucking drove me here,” Ben huffed at Lando and stared at the building in front of them.

“Language,” Lando scolded and shrugged. “You have to talk to her, starfighter.”

Ben took a deep breath and continued to stare at the building. When was even the last time he had been here? Maybe when he was a boy, probably. Even then, was he even a boy when he was with Father? Ben followed Lando like a lost puppy and calculated each and every move the older man made. Maybe he should have just left with Poe to have that talk with Rey. Fuck. They stood quietly in the elevator and Ben felt a rising panic in his chest. Why was he even here? The music in the elevator didn’t help and it just made Ben want to take the pen that was nestled in his pocket and thrust it into Lando’s eye, swirling it around before he pulled the eye out of its socket. Ben cleared his throat, no, he couldn’t, _wouldn’t_ do that to Lando. He couldn’t.

Could he?

The elevator dinged their stop and Ben hesitated before he walked out. Lando opened the door to the penthouse and Ben’s breath caught in his throat.

“Hello, Benjamin,” his mother said.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which ben has a conversation with leia. then rey and then i oop.

God, he really didn’t want to be here. Out of all places to be, he had to be here. In front of his mother like she was his Headmistress and he was there for a punishment. He should have never answered Poe’s call. He wanted to turn around and run away from this place and never come back. He’s done it once, he can do it again. Instead, he sat across from his mother with Lando next to him while she shuffled papers around. The great Leia Organa, the Maryland senator that overcame her husband’s arrest and his past. The senator that let her son be part of these murders and her husband’s hunting trips. Leia Organa, who was able to save her reputation and status as a senator despite her bleak past of being the daughter of the infamous Anakin Skywalker, the senator of Virginia and a Vietnam veteran, and the wife of the Red Dragon. Leia Organa, one of the few survivors of the Red Dragon and lived to tell the tale.

“This murder,” his mother began before she finally looked up at him. “What information are you allowed to give me, Ben?”

Ben let out a long suffering sigh and folded his arms across his chest. What could he actually give her? He didn’t even know himself but he had his ideas. “It’s an ongoing investigation now that it’s crossed state lines. I cannot say anything to you about it.”

“Benjamin,” Leia raised an eyebrow at him. “I need to know if I need to take precaution for the people and for myself.”

_She doesn’t give a shit about you, Kylo. She only cares for her seat at the Senate. When was the last time she actually gave a shit about anything you’ve done? At least I’m here with you, Kylo. And I will always be here for you._

Ben pinched the bridge of his nose and tried his best to ignore the rampant thoughts and lies Father told him when he was young. He stared at her with a frown on his face. His eyes moved to the faded scar along her neck and left arm. He felt heat rise on his cheeks as he turned away from her. Flashes of his past littered his mind as he tried to calm himself down. He let out a shaky breath. “I can’t disclose this, I’m sorry.”

Leia huffed but nodded but wanted to fight. He knew this, she fought with him ever since he went to the FBI. He explicitly made sure he never took cases in Maryland just because of his mother. “Very well. Is there anything else you would like to talk about? I’ve heard that you have been seeing a therapist.”

“Who told you that?” he muttered while Lando sat silently next to Ben. Ben looked over at Lando but he simply shrugged his shoulders and kept his mouth shut.

“Your own therapist, Dr. Niima?” Leia said and gave him a small smile while Ben narrowed his eyes. “She was here not too long ago. A week or so ago. I think she’s good for you. I’m glad that you have someone to help you out.”

Ben stood as he felt the itch to stab his mother like when...Ben clenched his fists. He turned away from his mother without even a goodbye. “I’ve had enough of this. I have to go. Dameron and the others are waiting for me.”

“Ben,” Leia called to him. Ben stopped and stared at her. “Do not go to your father. I know that you will want to see him eventually. I will not allow it.”

Ben furrowed his eyebrows and let out a huff. His chest felt constricted and a bubbled annoyance filled him. Why is she still trying to control him? Why does she even think that he would go visit that monster? “Goodbye, mother.”

_You failed, Kylo. You were tasked to do one goddamn thing and you_ _**failed** _ _to do so. Must I fucking do everything myself, Kylo?! How the fuck are you supposed to become me when you keep fighting me this entire time!?_

Ben drank the horrid and watered down coffee as he waited for Dr. Niima to finish with her current client. His long fingers tapped against his leg as he stared at the random pictures that littered the hallway. The door opened and Ben’s eyes shot over to see two people come out. He stared at his empty coffee cup while he waited for them to be alone finally.

“I hope that this was helpful for you today,” Rey smiled but her eyes were on Ben. “I’ll see you next week.”

The woman left and Ben was now alone with Rey. Ben stood, his coffee forgotten. She chuckled and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Doctor,” Ben said, his face a mask. “We need to discuss your involvement with my parents.”

“Is something the matter, Agent Solo?” Rey asked with a hint of playfulness in her voice. Ben’s eye twitched, he hated that Rey was playing him like a fiddle. She played him much like how Father did to him when he was young. Ben felt the anger and hatred surface in his chest as he clenched his fists. His eyes quickly darted around the office to find a simple weapon that he could use should he need the opportunity. True, he wore his weapon but once again, it didn’t even have a magazine so it was practically useless. Though he could use it as a blunt object...no, that’s too impersonal. If he wanted to hurt her, he wanted to make it as personal as he possibly could. “I suggest the knife that’s in my drawer, Agent Solo. I’m sure that would suffice for you to kill me.”

Ben raised an eyebrow in confusion. “The fuck?”

She chuckled and took a step closer to him. Ben’s breath caught in his throat and he could smell her perfume but couldn’t say or do anything to get his attenton away from her smell. “I can see it in your eyes, Ben. How much you want to kill me. Or do you regret what we did not too long ago?”

Ben let out a low growl escape his throat and gripped her arms tightly. She let out a gasp but the look in her eyes said otherwise. “Who says that I want to kill you, Rey?”

Rey let out a shaky breath and bit her lip. “What do you want to do then, Ben?”

Ben took a step back. He placed his glasses on the desk and rolled up the sleeves of his button up shirt. He then took off his watch as well as his holster. He turned to her and she could see a very different look in Ben’s eyes. They were darker and it almost seemed like there were spots of red that intertwined with the chocolate color of his eyes. He cracked his neck as well as his knuckles.

“My name is Kylo,” Kylo told her with a growl.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what the hey just happened? 
> 
> .... i don't know either so there's that. also, if you were looking for smut, i am so sorry. a. i'm not good at writing it and b. i am not a fan of writing it. i'm so sorry.

“I need you to do something for me,” Kylo stated as he moved to tug on his shirt. He ran a hand through his hair while she stared at him, she herself still naked in her own office. Bruises marred both of their bodies as if to show their claim to each other; she didn’t even feel like it was a bad thing. She waited for him to speak again. He turned and stared at her with a hungry look in his eyes, like he wanted to take her again, and leave his mark all over her neck like he already had. She could already feel the bruises forming on her neck as he took her so forcibly just moments before. “Since you are so inclined to butt into my affairs, I need you to talk with my mother.”

“Your mother?” she asked and moved to get dressed. “Why?”

He glared at her and she even felt uncomfortable; a first since she has eaten people for the majority of her life. The way he stood, was more slouched as if he was stalking prey. He ran a hand through his hair once more and she could see the swirls of red around his irises. She was surprised on how quickly he changed from Ben to Kylo. It was like a switch that he could control but didn’t know that he was able to until now.

He could control it.

Right?

“I know who you are,” he stated lowly, his eyes bore into her deeply. “And I believe it’s time Father knows his masterpiece has been finished.”

She stared at him with wide eyes and felt a shiver run down her spine. He barely knew her, how did he figure it out? Rey shifted in front of him as she buttoned her shirt, her face red. “Are you sure?”

_Women need to be taken by force sometimes, Kylo. Bitches don’t know anything, they need that sense of control, you understand? That’s why your mother was so easy; an easy prey. You can manipulate anyone with the right tone of voice and the right way of lookin’ at them. Master that art and you can get away with anything, Kylo. Master it and you will always get away with murder._

Ben was in the bathroom and splashed the cool water on his burning face. He kept his eyes closed while the droplets dripped down his face and back into the sink while his hands gripped the countertop tightly. He grabbed some paper towels and wiped his face before he put his glasses on. He opened his eyes and blinked, his vision finally cleared to see his reflection in the mirror. Except it wasn’t his reflection. His reflection was not wearing glasses…

Mirror Ben smiled at him and Ben could see the red swirling in Mirror Ben’s irises. “Don’t be afraid of who you are...Kylo.”

Ben jumped back from the reflection and swore. He bumped into the door of an empty stall and stared at the reflection with large eyes. He panted when he saw that the reflection was of himself, glasses and all. The reflection he saw gripped the sides of the stall tightly, his tie askew and his hair wild and unkempt. Ben swallowed and slowly stood while his reflection followed. Ben attempted to calm his breathing when he heard the door to the bathroom open. Whistling was heard before it cut off and Agent Dameron grinned at him, his hands in his pockets.

“Hey, Benny!” Poe said as he walked over. Ben’s eye twitched as Poe got closer to him and Ben could feel the hair on the back of his neck rise. It’s not like he didn’t like Poe, not really.

He absolutely _despised_ Poe Dameron.

They had grown up together, Poe was a foster child to his uncle, Luke. Any time they would be over, Ben had to listen to Luke praise Poe for being the golden child, a prodigy and turning into a police officer like himself. Poe had that sense of intuition that needed to be shaped and molded to be the perfect police officer; just like Ben.

Father would scoff and look over at Ben with a glint in his eye that showed that Luke didn’t know shit. Some of those days, Ben liked when Father defended him against Luke. Father would praise Ben just like Luke would about Poe. Father would say that Ben would become something greater than everyone would realize. Those were the days that Ben missed the most until he finally understood what his father meant. But, now the line was beginning to blur, especially with Rey in the picture. He knew what she was, even though he hadn’t told her. He knew who she was and that’s all that mattered.

“Earth to Ben?” Poe whistled and waved his hand in front of Ben’s face.

“W-what?” Ben asked and blinked. “Sorry.”

“Yeah Benny boy,” Mirror Ben grinned. Ben gaped at the mirror while his eyes darted back to Poe and then to the mirror. “Come on, Benny, let’s have some fun. I know how much you want to kill him.”

Poe tilted his head before he shrugged his shoulders. “Holdo wants to talk to us about the murder in Maryland. She’ll probably ask you to ask your mom for assistance, which would be great. Maybe Dad can help, too.”

“You should have sliced her throat when you had the chance,” Mirror Ben said. “Or maybe another sacrifice has to be made.”

Ben’s hands went into fists and his nails dug deep into his palms. How and why was this other personality coming out? What triggered this? Ben took a breath and nodded at Poe as he ignored the other in the mirror. Ben looked over his glasses to see that look in Poe’s eyes. That air of “I’m better than you, Ben, your uncle told me so” and Ben wanted to rip out Poe’s eyes with his teeth. Maybe, just maybe his reflection was right. Ben shook his head, his mental walls crumbled before his very eyes and he wondered if Poe knew about this. Did Poe know about what Father did to him? Did anyone really know? Ben felt the increase of paranoia seep into his bones as he realized that Poe was going to be a greater threat than before. Was Poe as good as Luke said he was? “I’ll see what I can do. Where are we talking about the case?”

_You’ve been listening to me, haven’t you, Kylo? Yeah, you know what’s wrong._ _Don’t worry about that bastard kid your uncle has; he won’t ever accept you_ _._ _S_ _ociety will never accept you. Embrace who you really are. You are my son. The one true Red Dragon, Kylo. Show them what I never could._

Ben stared at the three murders in front of him. Two were copycats of Father’s murders while the one in Dantooine was random but maybe connected. The only thing that connected them all were the missing body parts; they were looking for a cannibal. Well, the group was looking for a cannibal, Ben had already found her and his mind was raging war on whether or not to tell them or not. So far, they had no known leads and no known suspects. They were in this blind but Ben could see Rey in all three of the pictures.

“Three bodies, what does this mean?” Finn asked as he leaned back in his seat. “None of it makes sense.”

“They have to have some basic knowledge of anatomy,” Rose said. “Or of a butcher...”

“Do you think it’s a copycat for the Red Dragon?” Snap asked.

Everyone was talking at once and Ben could feel a pounding in the back of his head. He wanted to holler for everyone to shut up but he couldn’t find his voice. He looked up at the pictures and he could see Father. He could see Rey. Ben shifted; if Rey fell through on talking with his mother, then he would have to ask them.

“I think,” Ben finally stated, his arms tight across his chest which caused everyone to stop talking. “Is I should go talk to the Red Dragon.”

Poe was the first to scoff at this and Ben dug his nails into his arms. Poe never did particularly enjoy his ideas why would have this one been any different? Ben looked up at Poe with a little bit of hatred in his eyes. Poe leaned back against his seat, his feet on the table while the others looked on. “You honestly think that psycho would actually help us?”

“Dameron that’s enough,” Holdo stated as she tried to quickly diffuse the situation but Ben glared at him.

“No, let him speak,” Ben spat out, fury in his chest. Ben knew what he wanted to do to Dameron. It would be so easy, _so fucking easy_. Ben furrowed his brow. No, that’s what _Kylo_ wanted, not Ben. Ben hesitated...maybe he wanted it, too. Ben narrowed his eyes as he challenged Dameron. “Let him talk about my father.”

Dameron smirked at him and all Ben wanted to do was wipe that grin off that face with a knife. Dameron swung his feet around and stood. “Your father is a piece of shit, Solo. Always has been! Dad told me all the stories about them growing up together. How your mom shouldn’t have married him. And then he turned into a killer and you know what his answer was when they asked him why?” Dameron moved closer to Ben and Ben stood his ground. “Your piece of shit father said that he was just bored.”

Ben looked down at Poe before he leaned forward to ask: “How long did it take Luke and you to realize that he was the killer?” Ben watched as Poe closed his mouth and Ben grinned. “Because...it was long before we were born and if Luke said that he had this all powerful gift of intuition….he should have arrested Father a long time ago...now why didn’t he?”

“I knew,” Poe whispered angrily. “I _knew_ and he didn’t believe me.”

“And yet you said nothing,” Ben growled back. “Go back and sit the fuck down, Dameron, and never try to insult me or my father again.”

_Getting prey is easy, Kylo. The hardest part is convincing ‘em to get into your car and then finally having your way with ‘em. Some of ‘em will comply because they’re scared but once you have that complete control over ‘em...you feel like a God, Kylo…._

Ben sat in his car when he saw Poe walk to his own. Ben placed his glasses on the dashboard and ran up to Poe. “Poe!”

“The fuck you want, Solo?” Poe grumbled as he tried to find his keys.

Ben looked around the parking lot. “I think I know who the cannibal is.”

“Well shit, Solo, why the fuck didn’t you tell anyone in the fucking meeting?” Poe demanded as he pulled out his cellphone.

He knew that the garage didn’t have cameras, but they were totally working on it. Ben grinned and chuckled before he hit Dameron in the back of the head. Dameron collapsed against him and Ben struggled with the new weight. Ben hefted him up in a fireman’s carry and dropped him in the trunk of his car. Ben took out his cellphone and dropped into the driver’s seat.

Rey walked into her office and turned on the lights. She walked through the hallway and jumped when she saw a figure that leaned against the wall. Rey fell into a panic only to see that it was Ben. Rey felt herself relax and walked up to him. She gave him a smile before she saw blood on his shoulders and her smile vanished.

“You’re-” Rey started but Ben shook his head.

“No, my love,” Kylo grinned. “I brought you a gift.”

He held out his hand for her to take. Rey furrowed her brow before she hesitantly took his hand into hers. His large hand engulfed her own as they made their way deeper into her office. Kylo turned on the light and Rey gasped. In the center of her office was a man handcuffed to the chair and bloodied, his mouth covered with duct tape.

Special Agent Poe Dameron stared back at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you really want to see how much of a jumbled mess i am, then my [twitter](https://twitter.com/Dingwa11). is the one for you.
> 
> also, this was probably my favorite chapter to write by far.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> downward spirals suck, huh

_Don’t worry, my love, I’ll take good care of my new pet. You don’t have to worry about him anymore. I love this gift, Kylo._

_Kylo._

_Ben_

_Kylo_

_Ben_

_Solo_

_SOLO_

“SOLO!” Rose screamed over the rain. Ben jumped out of his skin and immediately turned to his short counterpart who gripped the umbrella tightly. His black hair clung to his forehead as he tried to see her through his rain splattered glasses. Rose gave him a small, unsure smile as she sniffled and wiped her nose. Ben blinked and looked at her in confusion. They were in front of the building in Quantico; the rain felt hot against his skin because of the summer humidity. The air felt worse than it had when it wasn’t raining. He swore when he felt a sharp pain on his fingers when he dropped the cigarette onto the ground, the acrid smell lifted up into his nostrils. “They...the arm we found...Finn thinks it’s Poe’s.”

“How?” Ben asked and shivered from the rain even though it was hot.

Rose’s bottom lip quivered. “Finn gave him that watch. As an anniversary gift.”

“Come on, let’s get out of the rain,” Ben said as he gently took the umbrella from Rose to protect the two of them and walked them back into the office.

_He’ll make an excellent pet, Kylo. I think I know exactly what I want to do with him._

Ben noticed how haggard Holdo looked in the meeting. Actually, they all looked pretty run down and now that Poe was missing...something felt off with the rest of the team. No one wanted to get up and start the investigation. One of their own was missing and no one knew who took him. Well, Ben knew exactly who took Poe, but he didn’t want to reveal that part of himself just yet to the rest of the team. Kaydel was the first to speak. She stood and with shaking hands, turned on the projector and uploaded the security cameras from the garage. Ben dug his nails into his palms as he tried to remember if there was any near him when he took Poe. No, he was smarter and better than that. No, _Kylo_ , was better than that.

“This is his vehicle going out of the garage,” Kaydel explained in a small voice, but sounded so loud in the room. She swallowed and continued on while a security feed showed Poe head to his vehicle and nothing afterward; the camera was obscured by a large cement wall. The next is showing the vehicle exit the garage but no image of the driver. “And that’s the last we see of him.” The security feeds clicks off and pictures from the crime scene come up. “We found his vehicle today, three days after the security feed abandoned in a parking lot off of 95 to Dantooine...and the car is where we found his...”

“Why would he be going back to Dantooine?” Snap asked and looked over at Finn for some sort of explanation.

Finn looked like he was out of it. Ben tilted his head to see Finn’s red rimmed eyes from crying and stress. He actually had no idea that Finn and Poe were dating; he almost felt sorry for taking Poe away from Finn. But, it had to be done and sacrifices had to be made. A statement had to be taken because Kylo had to protect Rey. Rey needed protection even thought she didn’t need it. No one suspected her. She was the perfect ghost. Finn shrugged his shoulders finally, he felt defeated. Finn rubbed his face and shook his head. “There was no reason for him to go back. We were finished with the case in Dantooine.”

“Did he say anything about the case to you?” Ben asked. “Like a lead or anything?”

Finn shook his head. “Nothing! We were both tired from working the case! He didn’t say anything about knowing more information that I did.”

“Finn,” Holdo finally spoke. “I know this is very traumatic for you but I cannot allow you to continue this investigation. In truth, you nor Poe should have been working together on this.”

The entire room went silent and Finn shot up from his seat. “Why?!”

Holdo looked at him sadly. “As of right now, you are now a suspect in this investigation.”

“What!” Finn cried out and Snap quickly stood to put himself between Holdo and Finn. Finn made no movement to charge at Holdo but there was the slight chance he would. “Why would you think that!?”

“You shouldn’t have even been on the investigation since you’re involved with Agent Dameron!” Holdo countered as she stood to level the ground. “That should have been disclosed to me when you two started a relationship!”

As they argued, Ben’s phone buzzed on the table. Ben swiped and stared at the text.

_Pet’s being a little rowdy, my love._

Ben’s lips thinned and he typed out: Hurting him was necessary?

_Love, that was you._

Ben stared at the text while his hand began to shake. He couldn't...yeah, he wasn’t Poe’s biggest fan but he…? Ben looked around the room but everyone was hung up on the argument between Finn and Holdo. Ben’s shook his leg and wondered if anyone would notice that he was gone; of course they would and it would render him suspicious when his phone buzzed once more.

_Your mother approved of me to see your father._

Ben texted back and stood up: I’m coming with you.

“Ben, where are you going?” Rose asked quietly.

Ben grabbed his bag. “I have an appointment with Dr. Niima. I have to go, I’m sorry. I’ll ask her if she’s been in contact with Poe.”

“Just...be careful, okay?” Rose asked and placed a hand on his arm. Ben tensed at the touch and could only stare at her. “Look, Armie hasn’t told me a lot about your guys’ relationship but he does care for you still. And I know you two don’t see each other as often as you used to...but he’s worried about you.”

Ben didn’t answer and left the office.

_When you get attached, you get complicit. That’s how you get caught. What’s my number one rule, Kylo? Never get caught._

Ben stood in front of the brick building and felt the tremors in his bones; from the rain or what he was about to do, he didn’t know. Rey stood next to him and slowly held his hand; her hand was warm against his cold one. She was so warm against him, then again maybe he was already dead. He felt like that half of the time anyway. He hadn’t felt alive since he was fourteen years old but with Rey…Ben looked down at her and she gave him a warm smile like the sun in his darkness. Even though her darkness swirled around in his own…it complimented him even though he tried so hard to stay away from the dark. The dark had continued to creep up on him and he chose to ignore it for so long. Maybe it was time to let it in and be a complete person instead of half of one. Rey pulled him out of his thoughts and brought him into the facility. The Dagobah State Hospital for the Criminally Insane housed only fifteen patients and the reason why anyone had to get special permission from his mother to see these patients. He never had a reason to come here in the first place.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Rey asked as they made their way to the entrance. Ben couldn’t say anything, so many thoughts ran through his head. If anything, he would be in here alongside Father. He let out the breath he was holding and nodded.

The building was old, built in the 1800’s and looked vastly out of place against the high rises that surrounded it like officers surrounding a prisoner. The brick layered building covered in vines like a Jane Austen novel; it was almost like Ben could be transported back in time at a moment’s notice. The brick contrasted with the white buildings that towered over the building. It was like the city was trying to hide away the building out of spite, or even shame. Ben thought bitterly that it was probably his mother’s doing, after all Father almost completely destroyed her career...and Ben her life.

Ben also noticed something else and looked around; even though it rained, it was completely silent. Not even the sounds of the highway nearby could be heard. It was like a bubble had been placed over the building and the only sounds that could be heard were the rain splashed against the invisible bubble. Ben felt his leg shake from nervousness. Did he actually want to do this? What would this prove?

_Kylo, I can smell the fear coming off of you. Why are you so afraid, Kylo? Are you afraid of what you are about to become, my son? Don’t worry, my son, your father is here to protect you as long as he can._

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Ben could feel a headache coming on after they walked through the cement hallways and the water dripped through the ceiling towards the doctor’s office to chat before they are allowed clearance. The doctor, the head of Dagobah sits in front of the two of them with a wicked grin on his face. Dr. Saw Gerrera prided himself as the one who detained The Red Dragon for the last fifteen years or so. He would sell stories about Han Solo to whomever wanted to listen. He even wrote a book boasting about how he picked through the brain of Han Solo and found out why he did what he did. Ben hated the book as much as he hated Dr. Gerrera; he was wrong in every aspect of Father’s life and Ben had a front row seat to it all. Dr. Gerrera always demanded to interview Ben and Ben has always refused. Dr. Gerrera leaned forward and Ben felt his fingers twitch against his leg. The urge to cut off the doctor’s face was strong in his mind or maybe he could make the doctor cut up his face on his own. The options were endless.

“So, the prodigal son returns,” Dr. Gerrera said finally and Ben feels his eye twitch. “He talks about you, you know. How proud he is of you.”

“I’m sure he does,” Ben grits out.

Dr. Gerrera laughed but began to wheeze. He quickly pulled out an inhaler out of his pocket and puffed it into his mouth. Ben raised an eyebrow and his thoughts began to tick. Rey must have noticed because she gently brushed her knee against his own. To Ben, Rey being with him felt like she could pluck his very thoughts out of his mind. He didn’t know if that actually bothered him or not. Ben gave her a look and wondered what techniques she had to kill the guy; she wouldn’t want his lungs, the meat would be spoiled. Maybe his kidneys.

“I see your mother gave you permission to see him,” Dr. Gerrera stated. “But I feel like I must ask this again...”

“No,” Ben interrupted him with frustration In his voice. He took off his glasses and punched the bridge of his nose before he opened them again, his vision more clear than it was before. “For the final fucking time, _no_. I will not be interviewed about my life with Father while he murdered numerous people. My answer will always be no.”

Dr. Gerrera hummed and stood. The only thing that held Ben back from killing him were his desk and Rey. “Shall I call the senator to see if she actually approved of _you_ being here, Agent Solo?”

“Can we see Han Solo first before we discuss book dealings?” Rey purred and held out her hand. “Let us talk with his father first and then we can come back here for an interview?”

Rey gave Ben a look and Ben cracked his neck. Kylo looked over at the doctor and nodded. “Yes, I think we can arrange something, do you agree?”

Dr. Gerrera laughed again and quickly used his inhaler. “Then, you can follow Krennic down to where the Red Dragon sleeps.”

_Don’t take things personal, Kylo. That’s how we get caught so easily. Take things personal and it eats you up inside. It festers. And when it festers it’s all you think about. And when you only think about that one kill, it won’t mean anything anymore. You want to make all your kills matter._

Krennic stopped at the metal door and looked at the two of them. “This is as far as I go. His cell is the last one. Good luck.”

Kylo didn’t care about the others that shared a space with Father. He needed to see him. Kylo let out a breath and kept Rey as hidden as possible from the others. Though, she had already been here, the other inmates began to scream and holler at the pair as they slowly descended down the cold and empty hallway. Once they reached the end of the hallway, the voices died down and the inmates retreated into their cells. For the first time in almost fifteen years, Ben Solo stared in the eyes of his father. Han Solo, who stood close to the glass of his cell, smiled when he saw the pair arrive. Kylo could see the same red swirls that mirrored his own eyes. Han Solo chuckled when he saw his son, the air felt stuffy and tense and Kylo tried his best to breathe. Rey stood next to him in silence but smiled back at Father.

“Hello, Kylo,” Han Solo said at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long. with everything happening in the world, it was hard to finish the chapter. what's going on right now, it's a lot to digest. and my job doesn't give me a chance to really think about these things. i'm helping in small ways because that's the best i can do for now. but don't stop. keep going. keep fighting for justice. i will always be in your corner. find me on twitter.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> everyone is not having a good day

“Father,” Kylo said almost breathless. His father looked _so old_ in the prison cell, his white uniform hung off of him as if he wasn’t eating. Father used to be clean shaven all the time but now supported a salt and pepper beard which Kylo didn’t know how to make of it. Kylo knew that it was probably an act, Father was always good at telling people what they wanted to hear. But then Kylo’s mind went down a different path. He remember going to an Orioles game with Father and having the best time of his life. He remembered trips into DC where they would go the museums and the zoo for the day while his mother worked. For a small brief period of his life, Kylo thought his life was normal. No, _Ben_ thought his life was normal. Kylo knew better. Kylo was six years old when Father created the name; a name that Kylo could use when they went on their hunting trips. But here and now, Kylo didn’t know what to do or even think. He had completely forgotten why they were here in the first place. It’s not like Father had any part of the recent murders. Or any of the murders, not really. Kylo didn’t know what to do and Han could see that inner turmoil that festered inside of his son.

“You’ve grown,” Han said as he paced around his room. Kylo noticed that Father had a slight limp in his right leg. Victim seventy-five- stabbed him in the leg. Kylo had learned to stitch but Father’s leg was never the same again. Father never punished him for his work, he actually complimented him on it. “I’ve read about your triumphs in the paper, when they decide to give it to me. Then again, they do enjoy the drugs and withholding food.”

Kylo narrowed his eyes as a surge of anger went through him. Sure, this man was no saint but he should still be treated like a human being. Red swirled around in his irises and Han smiled at him. Kylo could see dark clouds formed around Father and his own eyes had turned a dark red. “I’ll talk to the doctor and see what I can do for you, Father.”

“And Doctor Niima,” Han stated and faced the younger woman. “Welcome back. I am sure you have given my son fair treatment?”

“Yes, sir,” Rey nodded and took a step closer. “As we agreed.”

Kylo snapped his head towards Rey but didn’t say anything. Rey didn’t meet his gaze which caused Kylo to return his eyes to Father.

“And how about your pains?” he asked her. “The memories of Jakku still running rampant in that head of yours?”

“Jakku is nothing but a mere memory,” Rey answered slowly and shook her head. “I don’t visit anymore.”

“Your parents graves?” Han asked her. “I do recall the mess that you were in before you came here.”

She nodded again and Kylo eventually realized that he had not once ever thought about Rey’s past. What was so hidden about the desert town of Jakku? He had heard of the name once or twice, maybe Father had brought him there before for a kill, he couldn’t remember. Kylo idiotically just assumed that Rey had lived here all of her life. Then again, Kylo’s mind reeled that he knew nothing of the person standing next to him other than what he already knew about her. She was a nobody; no one to think about. For once in his life, Kylo wanted to do right by someone and he chose Rey. He _chose_ to be better for Rey.

“I just wanted to thank you,” she told him. “For doing what you did. It freed me.”

Kylo’s mind began to reel. What the hell were they talking about? Had Rey learned about Father before? Of course she did, she wrote a fucking paper on him as well as hundreds of other psychology students. Kylo just stood with them like a third wheel with friends.

“We met a long time ago,” Han explained. “And I asked her to do something for me and she fulfilled it. Nothing sinister, Kylo.”

“It’s Ben,” Kylo said finally finding his voice but even in his own voice that was a lie. Could he really be Ben after what he had done? Could he really live a normal life after this? Would the others accept him for who and what he was? Kylo shook his head lightly. No. They wouldn’t accept him. He was a monster, after all.

Han let out a chuckle as he moved the stool in his room to sit down in front of them. “Are you really still trying to believe that you can go down this path of light, _Benjamin?_ You were made for this life and no matter how many times you try to run away from it, it will still keep you in the darkness. It will consume every bit of light in you that you’ve tried to hard and so long to hold onto.”

Kylo pressed his nails into his palms and he could surely feel the blood in his hands but made no move like his father was a bear ready to strike. Kylo could see large dark swirls that surrounded his father as if the man had the devil himself next to him. Kylo shook his head and blinked to clear his vision. The swirls were gone and so was the devil, however Han had that look in his eyes and Kylo didn’t know how to react. Soon, he felt the pressure on his own shoulder and the breath of the devil against his neck. Kylo’s breath hitched as he heard the devil lowly into his ear, teeth scraped against his neck while it’s claws dug into his shoulders.

_Become who you were meant to be._

“I know what you’re thinking,” Han said to him and placed a hand on the glass. Kylo watched as the dark clouded swirls slowly drifted away from his father and disappeared. “And you know what to do.”

Kylo didn’t take his gaze off his father. His heart began to beat rapidly in his chest. He dropped his eyes to see the dark swirls appear on his side of the glass and slowly wrap around him like overgrown vines. Kylo could feel the swirls slowly disintegrate into his body and give him a new sense of power. Kylo swallowed as the grip on his shoulder felt tighter, the devil breathing heavily and it felt like someone brought a burning flame next to his neck. Kylo stared at his father with wide and scared eyes. For the first time in his life, he really wanted his father to give him the comfort that he always craved. Gently, he placed his own hand on the glass; it would the first time they had held each other this close since he was fourteen. “I know what I have to do but I don’t know if I have the strength to do it.”

“You do,” Han whispered and gave him a lopsided grin. Kylo’s mind flashed at the last time Father had given him that grin- when they hunted together. Kylo remembered when Father trusted him enough to let him join. “You’re my son.”

Kylo blinked and nodded as he dropped his hand from the glass. “I’ll make you proud.”

Han let out a laugh. “You already have.”

Kylo nodded and looked over at Rey. He was about to speak once more when he heard his phone go off. He pulled it out of his pocket to see that Holdo was calling him. He gave out a low grunt and looked back at Father. “I have to go.”

“Does he want you to be part of his new novel?” Han asked him randomly. “Yet another bloated story of all of my work?”

Kylo huffed and nodded. “Yes but I’m not sure if I want to share my side.”

“Shame,” Han said and folded his arms across his chest. “It would have been a hit.”

“Ben,” Rey whispered and showed him her own phone which displayed Holdo’s name. Kylo stared as he watched the dark swirled that he emitted encircled and trapped Rey with him; it thrilled him to see that Rey was part of him now even if he didn’t know her past. He needed Rey to let go of the past and look forward to the future. With him. “They’re calling me, too.”

“We’ll see each other soon,” Han promised.

Kylo took Rey’s hand and quickly made their way out of the cellblock. Krennic looked at them and nodded. Once they ascended from Hell, they were met by Dr. Gerrera at the top of the stairs. Kylo tightened his grip on Rey’s hand as he glared at the doctor.

“Let’s have a talk in my office, shall we?” Dr. Gerrera said with a smile.

_Will you help me?_

_You’re my son, of course I’ll help you. First kills are never easy, son. My first kill wasn’t easy either. My father told me to kill my best friend. Seeing that pleading look in his eyes made me think that this wasn’t a good idea. But then I remembered that this was all I knew. I knew that at a young age, Kylo._

“I want to make sure that the contract is good enough for the publishers,” Dr. Gerrera stated as he moved to his desk. “And I think you’d probably enjoy it too, Solo.”

Kylo didn’t move from the center of the room. He folded his arms across his chest. “Doctor, I must admit, I’m impressed that you never tried to reach out to me a lot sooner.”

“Your mother strictly forbade it for a long time. Said something about protecting her little boy,” he explained with a wave of his hand as he grabbed his inhaler. “But you’re a big boy now, I think you can make your own decisions?”

Dr. Gerrera’s printer began to chug as it churned out the pages of the contact. Kylo shook his head and looked over at Rey. Rey gave him a devilish smile and nodded. Kylo watched as the swirls that emitted from his body began to wrap itself around Rey like a red string of fate. Kylo grinned in possessiveness before he looked back over at the doctor.

“How long have you been abusing your patients?” Rey asked finally. “That is a huge violation of patient trust, not to mention hospital violations.”

“I have never abused any of my patients,” he snapped. “Why do you think I have so few employees and patients?”

“Yeah, about that,” Kylo said, his voice a low growl. “Just about how many people do you have working for you?”

“Weekends there’s only two. Me and Krennic,” Dr. Gerrera answered.

“Perfect,” Kylo said and jumped over the desk to tackle the doctor down. Kylo felt like a wolf tackling a deer for the kill. For the hunt. For survival. The doctor cried out in surprise as Kylo’s full weight was on top of him. Kylo heard the inhaler that was in the doctor’s pocket fly out and skidded across the hardwood floors. Kylo held onto his collar and looked over at Rey, who rolled his chair over to the pair. Kylo picked the doctor up with ease and threw him into the chair while Rey zip tied his arms to the arm rest.

“Just what are you doing!” Dr. Gerrera demanded as he struggled against the bonds.

Rey looked at Kylo and he nodded. Rey left the room and Kylo narrowed his eyes at Dr. Gerrera. Kylo fished out of his knife from his pocket and twisted it open. Dr. Gerrera let out a wheezed gasp when he saw Kylo’s eyes; red swirls like his father’s. Kylo paced around him like a hungry wolf, teeth bared while Kylo felt claws of the devil dig deeper into his shoulders as if the devil was trying to merge the two of them into one.

“About my part in the book, doctor,” Kylo stated, his heart pounded in his ears. He began to stalk towards the doctor, with blood red eyes like a hellhound itself. Kylo grinned as he flicked the knife around in his hand as if it were second nature to him before he plunged the knife into the doctor's leg. The doctor screamed in agony and Kylo licked his lips. “Would you like to listen?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was supposed to be a longer chapter but my job got in the way


End file.
